“Physical therapy” or “physiotherapy” means the same and are identical. It is art and science that is concerned with the prevention of disability and rehabilitation for congenital or acquired physical or mental disabilities resulting from injury or disease. A physical therapist clinic may include weights, mats, and treadmills where they can perform a variety of exercises with the patients to improve sensory perception, muscle strength and motor skills. Both the patient and the PT work as a team to achieve the goal. Communication is very important in this field as patients need to respond to the instructions given by the physical therapist. Patient of all age is treated by the physical therapist right from infant to the very old.

Association Group Responsible for providing license

In Virginia, the Virginia Board of Physical Therapy is responsible to issue license to physical therapists. The application process is dependent on whether you are new student, a licensed physical therapist in another state or country.

Address:

Board of Physical Therapy
Perimeter Center- 9960 Mayland Drive,
Suite 300- Henrico,
VA 23233-1463
804-367-4674
Email – PTBoard@dhp.virginia.gov
Website – www.dhp.virginia.gov

Application process

For people from United States

PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY EXAMINATION

Eligibility: Applicant must be a graduate of a school of physical therapy approved by the American Physical Therapy Association or is a graduate of a school outside of the United States or Canada which is acceptable to the Board

The Board should receive an official transcript in physical therapy from an institution that has been approved.

Foreign Trained Applicants: If the applicant has received education outside US at a school which is not accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), the applicant must submit a credential evaluation. The evaluation must be prepared by a Board approved agency.

English competency: An applicant should satisfactorily complete the TOEFL and TSE with a passing score or above.

Instructions for Registering Online for National Physical Therapy Examinations

Virginia Board of Physical Therapy is using the FSBT website to allow candidates to register online for NPTE. The website the candidate will follow to get registered is https://www.fsbpt.net/pt . The examination lasts for one day for a period of approximately 5.0 hours. The exam consists of approximately 250 multiple-choice questions. The National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) is a computer-based examination given at Prometric Testing Centers.

Once the Virginia Board determines the eligibility based on the educational qualification and other guidelines it will be intimated that candidate can appear for the online examination. The FSBT will send the candidate an Authorization to Test (ATT) letter.

The ATT letter would contain the all important information about the exam schedules

Where to give the exam: The Prometric Testing Center fee must be paid directly to the Prometric Testing Center at the time of scheduling. Please visit www.prometric.com for further details for place and fees.

PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY ENDORSEMENT 

For applicants from other states who hold a current license in another jurisdiction.

Candidate should enclose verification of licensure in good standing from all jurisdictions in which the applicant has been licensed.

Candidate should send the official transcripts or letter of completion to be mailed to the board office.

Request your NPTE score transfer from the FSBPT at www.fsbpt.net/pt.

CONTINUING EDUCATION – Candidates must submit evidence of completion of 15 hours of continuing education for each year in which he/she has held a license in another U.S. jurisdiction, or 60 hours obtained within the past four years.

Other Information 

Q. How do I determine if my PT or PTA program is accepted by the Board?

A. Please visit www.capteonline.org  to locate a list of acceptable PT programs.

Fees: 

Application fee – $140

License renewal 

A person who desires to renew their license needs to renew by December 31 of each even numbered year. A total of 30 hours of Continuing Education and at least 160 hours of active practice are required during the renewal period.

Verify Virginia Licensure: It can be viewed on the official website http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/PhysicalTherapy/

Information about jobs and salary

Job in State: As per data of May 2012 there are 4,870 jobs in VirginiaState.

Salary: The average mean wage is $ 83,690. The bottom 10% is at $ 56,450 and the top 10% is earning a handsome amount of $ 113,950.

Links for reference

Official Website: http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/PhysicalTherapy/

Exam Websites: http://www.fsbpt.org  , www.prometric.com/fsbpt

Important Websites: http://www.apta.org , http://www.capteonline.org/home.aspx